Field-testing of biometric system for Sabah Displaced Persons (DPs) under the Modified Conditional Cash Transfer Program (MCCT) of DSWD.

In an effort to assist the displaced persons and families from Sabah regain normalcy in their lives and help them reintegrate into their communities , the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) developed a program that will help alleviate their poor conditions.

The Modified Conditional Cash Transfer Program (MCCT) which is a basically a prototype of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, aims to cater to families with children 0-14 years old.

DSWD 9 Regional Director Zenaida Arevalo revealed that for Region 9, they have identified 137 displaced persons who returned to the Philippines due to the conflict in Sabah. Similar to the identification of Pantawid beneficiaries, the 137 names were subjected to the Proxy Means test and accordingly, 102 came out eligible for the program.

To ensure accurate data and to avoid duplication of beneficiaries, Mr. Leonardo U. Lindo, a Project Development Officer from DSWD Central Office, said that enrolment will be through the Biometric Identification system. So far, field testing of the biometric system customized for the program was already conducted last week and participated by prospective beneficiaries of the program.

Aside from Region 9, DSWD will also identify prospective beneficiaries from Region XII and ARMM.

An orientation workshop set for June 12-14 is being arranged. Said workshop will prepare Local government units for the implementation of the MCCT program as well as the processing and implementation of the Biometric enrolment. ###(NZB061112)

Gov’t maps out action plan as more Pinoys return from Sabah
Monday, 08 April 2013 00:00
In an effort to track and ensure that services are provided to families returning from Sabah, 50
representatives of government agencies in Region IX and the Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao (ARMM) met recently in Lantaka Hotel, Zamboanga City to draft an action plan which
will include all contributions and possible programs from the different line agencies that could be
implemented and provided to the returnees.
Based on the April 5 report of the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Disaster Risk
Reduction and Response Operations Office (DSWD-DRRRO), some 5,349 persons have
returned from Sabah.
“The need to converge and pool our resources as well as synchronize our activities is a demand
that we need to address,” DSWD Undersecretary Parisya Hashim-Taradji, who presided over
the meeting, stated.
One action plan is to issue a Family Access Card to displaced persons from Sabah upon
disembarkation to any point in Mindanao. The Provincial Social Welfare Officers (PSWOs) of
the three provinces of ARMM – Tawi-Tawi, Sulu and Basilan, will provide color-coded cards to
displaced families to entitle them to services being provided by the national and local
governments and to prevent duplication in the availment of the services.
Undersecretary Taradji explained that the access cards will systematize provision of relief,
transportation, and shelter assistance, and cash-for-work to the displaced families.
She added that the DSWD will also deploy twelve social workers to Sabah today, April 8, to
reinforce the efforts of staff currently assisting the affected Filipinos.
Undersecretary Taradji also disclosed that the DSWD will deploy a four-man team to Tawi-Tawi
and Sulu on April 9-13to undertake needs assessment  and contingency planning for the
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Gov’t maps out action plan as more Pinoys return from Sabah
Monday, 08 April 2013 00:00
continued arrival of displaced Filipin
os from Sabah.
To date, a total of P10.4 million worth of humanitarian aid was provided to the affected families
through the combined resources of DSWD (P10.4 million) and NGOs (P4,100). The aid includes
relief packs, hygiene kits and transportation assistance.
One-Stop Processing Center continues
The One-Stop Processing Center (OSPC) in Taganak, Tawi-Tawi  is another mechanism set-up
by the government to facilitate long-term interventions. The process flow involves two phases -Phase I which DSWD is tasked to handle and Phase II where the Department of Labor and
Employment (DOLE) comes in.
Phase I includes the arrival of displaced families to the Philippines, where they are immediately
attended to as well as interviewed and assessed for appropriate intervention. Phase II highlights
the provision of needed assistance to the displaced families which covers three options such as
the processing of papers for return to employers in Malaysia, the reintegration process for wage
employment, and the provision of livelihood assistance (self-employment).
The OSPC mechanism was implemented in 1997 when the Federal Government of Malaysia
strictly enforced its Immigration Act.  Thousands of Filipinos were deported due to expired work
papers, lack of documents and illegal residency status. ### (DSWD-Social Marketing Service)
April 8, 2013
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(05/27/13) As part of the monitoring and reporting process, the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction BaSulTa region has conducted its post validation assessment cum stakeholder forum for the province of Sulu on May 23, 2013 at Jolo Area Coordination Center.

The activity aimed to communicate the validation results and status of data to project stakeholders and provide them opportunity to share vital information that has significant contributions to project monitoring, reporting and planning.

The one-day forum was participated by NGAs of BaSulTa such as the DILG, DTI, DOLE, DOST, Sulu Area Coordinating Center, Sulu PPDO, MSWOs and MPDCs of different municipalities in Sulu.

Among the issues and concerns brought out by the participants were the manipulation of LGUs in the assessment and validation process of the project, misconception that NHTS data are similar of that DOH and DepEd and the promising notion of the project that when a certain household is included in the list, that household will automatically be beneficiaries of social protection programs of the government like Philhealth and Pantawid Pamilya.

During the forum, NHTS-PR Focal Person Mr. Hasan B. Alfad emphasized that complaints regarding LGU manipulation of the list should be addressed directly to the Region IX Targeting Unit for appropriate action. Also he stressed out that NHTS-PR does not promise direct provision of social protection programs to poor households but it helps organization and agencies with social protection program identify beneficiaries accurately so that government resources are given to the people who need it the most.

National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) is an information management system implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development to identify who and where the poor are in the country. (#LMSM)

(05/24/13) The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Region IX launched the Regional Profile of Poor Households on May 24, 2013 at Astoria Hotel, Zamboanga City.

DSWD-IX Assistant Regional Director Consejo Usman’s unveiling of the life-sized copy of the “Regional Profile of the Poor” highlighted the event. The regional profile features statistical data describing the condition of the 369,293 poor households in Zamboanga. These households were identified through DSWD’s National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR), which conducted its nationwide household assessment in 2009. From the 10.9 million households assessed, 5.2 million have been distinguished as poor.

“The NHTS-PR uses 34 observable and verifiable variables in the process of household assessment. These will then undergo the Proxy Means Test (PMT) which estimates the household income using the indicators such as the housing conditions, occupation, education, family members and the likes.” said ARD Usman as she explained how the project ensures objectivity in identifying the poor who will be beneficiaries of the social protection programs.

The NHTS-PR database of poor households currently serves as basis for selecting beneficiaries of anti-poverty programs and services of the government such as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, Sustainable Livelihood, Social Pension, and the Philhealth Indigent Program. “Use of this database is not limited to government agencies”, stated ARD Usman, as she encouraged non-government organizations (NGOs) and local government units (LGUs) to secure a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the department and use the database for the benefit of the poor.

Following the press conference, DSWD-IX premiered “TATSULO: Stories of Hope”, a documentary film directed by Zamboanga-based indie filmmaker Zurich Chan. The documentary features the life stories of the poor households who have become beneficiaries of DSWD’s core anti-poverty programs: Pantawid Pamilya, KALAHI-CIDSS and Sustainable Livelihood.

NHTS-PR is an information management system that identifies who and where the poor are. This makes available to national government agencies and other social protection stakeholders a pioneer database consisting of a comprehensive organization of information about poor households nationwide. The project is expected to update its database in 2014. (#LMSM)

March 8, 2013/ZC– DSWD IX Asst. Regional Director Riduan Hadjimuddin confirmed that coordination with concerned agencies is underway to ensure efforts are organized and synchronized in anticipation of the massive deportation of Filipinos from Sabah.

As a result of a meeting with ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman last Tuesday , DSWD IX committed to provide manpower and fund support to the ARMM Region. Todate, DSWD has transferred the amount of Five Hundred Thousand Pesos as augmentation support to DSWD ARMM . A team of social workers well-versed with the local dialects of Sulu and Tawi-tawi was organized and ready to go in case reinforcements are requested by the ARMM Provincial Social Welfare Offices (PSWO).

Ms. Hania Aliakbar, Social Welfare Head of Tawi-tawi, revealed that schools were identified as evacuation centers considering the availability of facilities such as comfort rooms. Systems that will help facilitate smoothly the transfer and processing of the deportees such as the “Task Force Tabang’ are already in place through the initiative of Governor Hataman and his cabinet members.

Gov. Hataman said that with the crisis in Sabah, the pooling of resources and efforts by the public and private organizations is a priority. (nzb)